Self-expanding stent with polygon transition zone

Abstract

The self-expanding stent of the present invention provides for a transition zone between the main body of the stent and the end zone, comprising a plurality of n-sided polygons where the surface area of the adjacent polygons in the transition zone is unequal. In one embodiment, the surface area of the polygons in the transition zone increases circumferentially across the transition zone in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner. The polygons are formed from two pairs of undulations which are connected by segments. The bending moment of the undulations is equal within each polygon and constant across the transition zone.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 178,139 filed May 14, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 223,435 filed Jul. 7, 2009BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Stents are scaffolds which are positioned in diseased vessel segments to support the vessel walls. During angioplasty, stents are used to repair and reconstruct blood vessels. Placement of a stent in the affected arterial segment prevents elastic recoil and closing of the artery. Stents also prevent local dissection of the artery along the medial layer. Physiologically, stents may be placed inside the lumen of any space, such as an artery, vein, bile duct, urinary tract, alimentary tract, tracheobronchial tree, cerebral aqueduct or genitourinary stent. Stents may also be placed inside the lumen of non-human animals, such as primates, horses, cows, pigs and sheep.[0003]In general, there are two types of stents: self-expanding and balloon-expand...

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